Education

Learning begins at birth, but many parents do not realize their critical role as their children’s first teacher. Early learning can take many forms, from parental interaction to childcare programs to formal preschool education. These early learning experiences are important, as they can shape a child’s entire academic future. When children start kindergarten ready to learn and equipped with the necessary language and literacy skills they are more likely to be reading at grade level in third grade and more likely to graduate high school on time with a plan for college or career training.

99% of children who participated in a family literacy program with their parents achieved age-appropriate English language skills

3,747 children received a free book each month through Dolly Parton's Imagination Library program for a total of 34,297 books

Reading is a critical predictor of high school success—or failure. This is because children are learning to read until fourth grade; after that, they are reading to learn. In later grades, coursework gets harder, reading becomes more challenging, and those with reading troubles have difﬁculty coping. This can lead to bad grades, bad behavior, “checking out” from school – and eventually dropping out.

For children to become strong readers, they need a print-rich environment. Ideally, their parents and caregivers surround them at an early age with books; use the local library regularly; and read with them daily. Starting in kindergarten, children learn the skills they need to sound out new words and ﬁnd meaning in written text. By third grade, they may be reading chapter books to their parents, and are hopefully developing a love of reading that promotes future learning. By fourth grade, their strong reading skills are supporting increasingly harder academic work. Reading skills build a strong foundation for academic success and high school graduation. These successful readers will better understand the world around them, and will be able to use those skills to succeed in a demanding workplace and to be a fully engaged citizen.

How We're Changing the Story:

What YOUR gifts made possible in 2017:

66 Third-Grade students receiving after-school tutoring to help raise their reading and math scores. 83% increased their proficiency in reading; 97% increased their proficiency in math

22 Reading Buddies spent over 300 hours reading in classrooms with students

Although the high school graduation rate is at an all-time high of 82%, the high school dropout problem still presents a daunting challenge to communities across the United States. About 25% of all students—nearly 1.2 million each year—fail to graduate high school on time. In some large urban districts, less than half the students graduate on time. Even if a student graduates from high school, only one in four students is academically prepared for college or career training.

As we reach the end of the second decade of the 21st century, the need to ensure that youth succeed after high school has become more pressing than ever before. A solid education has become the foundation for a good life. Most jobs today that pay wages or salaries high enough to support a family require skills associated with at least some education beyond high school. By 2022, 36% of all job openings in the United States will require at least a bachelor’s degree, and another 49% will be “middle skills” jobs, requiring some education beyond high school. 54% of jobs today are middle-skills jobs, but only 44% of the American workforce is trained at middle-skill level. Employers today need skilled workers at all levels—employees who can communicate well, think critically and be effective team members. Yet, employers report that workers with no education beyond high school are three times less likely to be prepared for work than recent college graduates. Individuals with bachelor’s degrees earn on average $23,800 more per year than those with only high school diplomas. Those with any degree are three times more likely to be employed than someone without a degree.

All told, these statistics carry tremendous implications for our future. It is clear that high school is not enough anymore for anyone who wants to earn a living wage. Moreover, as the fastest growing job sectors require more and more technical education, students unprepared for college or career training will find themselves un- and under-employed at a much higher rate.

How We're Changing the Story:

What YOUR gifts made possible in 2017:

1,073 teens participated in a structured after school program where they received homework help, academic tutoring, social emotional skill building, and team building activities

119 families participated in parenting meetings which taught parents about college readiness, financial aid, parenting, and life skills, enabling parents to guide their child through the college application or career training selection process